Noise (Part 5)

Jude 17-23 "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

Jude told us there would be mockers who would walk after their OWN ungodly lusts. They would separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit. The word "sensual" here means "governed by breath." Jude simply tells us their will be some false teachers and prophets who do what they want and live the way they want to and still proclaim to be holier than thou.

Friends, we see that in every walk of life, but more so in the church today than ever before. We have encountered more rebelliousness from people who want what they want and not God than ever before. We have seen ministers destroyed because their lusts were revealed to the public. Jude said that we should keep ourselves in the love of God, building up our faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost, with our eyes on the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternity. This is the key to staying spiritually strong in these troublesome days.

The biggest excuse people use to stay away from God and the church is the hypocrisy that they see in those who profess to be Christians. I think we have all questioned that before. I have seen in my ministry good people so swayed by a teacher that they would defend his wrongs just so he could teach. These were not unspiritual people or hypocrites, but they would justify his wrongs because they enjoyed his spin on the lessons. Some of those same people who would bypass his sin, would turn on someone else who made a mistake or sinned with a vengeance. Something is wrong with that equation.

Jude gives us two scenarios in dealing with the noise these false prophets and teachers create:

-The first is to have compassion on them and somehow make a difference in their lives. I have found it to be true that most people are not beyond redemption. If they err and truly repent they will change their ways. Jude says with compassion we have an opportunity to make a difference in their decisions to do it their way or God's way. The Bible shares there are two paths we can take.

One leads to safety and protection and the other leads to destruction. We have the power of God within us to remove noise/distractions from some people's lives and lead them back to the right path.

-The second is to save them with fear, pull them out of the fire, and hating the very garment that is spotted by flesh. What in the world does that mean? It means that we who are built up in the Holy Ghost should respect ourselves and our relationship with God so much that we would not become tainted by the very thing we rescue people from. Several famous evangelists and Christian leaders have admitted while trying to help others out of bad situations, they themselves got caught up in the noise of the ones they were trying to rescue.

Jude wants us to make sure that doesn't happen to us.

How do you overcome that noise?

Jude 24, 25 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."